Glitch-Free Software Development

Glitch-Free Software Development

1. Evaluate the VendorWhat's the track record of the engineering team, the founder and the executive board?

Software bugs can cost big money. In a new book, Glitch: The Hidden Impact of Faulty Software (Prentice Hall/available now), author Jeff Papows shows how to avoid some of these expensive problems. Glitch prevention demands a systemic, organization-wide approach, and IT staffers to take an active role in the process, he writes. No one should assume that senior managers have provided the needed oversight to ensure that all software will be in perfect working order. And proactive measures are needed now more than ever, with outsourcing and mergers both increasing the odds that an outside party's faulty software could be integrated within your enterprise. Papows also explores the organizational cultural dynamics that often lead to glitches. The author is CEO and president of WebLayers Inc. and former CEO and president of Lotus Development Corp., where he's credited with taking Lotus Notes from its initial release to sales of more than 80 million copies worldwide. For more on the book, go to www.glitchthebook.com